~ Thinking outside the box about Cambodia

A Dialog That Does Not Need a Culture

Since all the “red flag with gold star” have been removed from public places, you must feel “decolonized” and could breath some air of “Khmerness” although the ex-KRs in power must now be re-strategizing on the “co-operation” imposed by the successor of those who put them in power in the City of Tonlé Buon Mouk 31 years ago.

That being said, you might be interested in hearing a dialog between two Khmer citizens on the following Monday, but please do keep this away from the “a cu” as their wiretapping devices had missed it:

Sarong: Why are you dressing all in black on a Monday?
Sampot: I’m mourning the “death of democracy and freedom.”
Sarong: But people wear white when mourning?
Sampot: I decide to wear black, because it’s a double mourning. It’s my own choice.
Sarong: Double mourning?
Sampot: Yes, double: “democracy and freedom” and “sovereignty.”
Sarong: “Sovereignty?”
Sampot: Yes, “sovereignty.” Cambodia has lost its “sovereignty” to the Northeast neighbor.
Sarong: Oh, got it. You mean the guy who was here on 15-16 June with all the “red flag with gold star” at every corner of the streets. They will arrest you if they see you.
Sampot: Let them arrest me if they wish; it won’t change anything as they beat or arrest or wiretap anybody they don’t like.
Sarong: If they lock you up, who will look after the kids?
Sampot: It’s a question that should be asked to the guys who would arrest me since I have not committed any crime against the society.
Sarong: You will be accused of helping the opposition as they don’t know that you are mourning.
Sampot: You see, they don’t know anything about me nor my idea. They use the color people wear to judge their ideology; and even if people wear colors they will still be able to accuse the “black” color of the shadow!
Sarong: Do you mean that I could be arrested too?
Sampot: Of course, you could be. It’s Monday, you wear black shoes, you dye your hair black, your shadow is black!
Sarong: I’m wondering why they are so afraid of the black color outfit.
Sampot: Stop wondering on such an easy issue. Thy all wore black when they were KRs; now they become ex-KRs and embrace power and corrupted money, their instinct went straight back to the image of the old time which becomes a haunted color. Hiding their secret in plain daylight, that’s what they believe. But, they are free to stupidly think that way.
Sarong: Don’t they wear black suits on Monday too, do they?
Sampot: They always do. For example, do you remember the photo-ops at every not-so-clever ASEAN meetings when they crossed their handshakes or even standing at the podium of Koh Pich’s conference hall vociferating endless nonsense? But now they change to dark blue or gray. They are not dumb, the guys!
Sarong: And hypocrites, too. Are you on the voting rolls in your district?
Sampot: I hope so as I already have my card.
Sarong: Why “hope”? Look like you are not sure.
Sampot: How can I be sure, I have not seen the rolls?
Sarong: In my village, many new settlers are rushing to register. I don’t know where they come from and many of them speak Khmer with a terrible accent.
Sampot: It’s the same and all over the places: Svay Rieng, Préy Véng, Takéo, Kampot, Kg Chnang, Kg Cham. Sarong, don’t pretend not to know where they’re from: “Nan Yue”, that’s where they are from!
Sarong: Why are they so interested and involved in the elections? How much do they know about the politics of the country?
Sampot: Thy don’t need to know anything; all they have to do is to vote for the ex-KRs’s party. The ex-KRs allow them to come and settle here as a vassal-like debt payment for their being put on the power pedestal since 7 January 1979; so, it’s time for these guys to do something in return.
Sarong: The ex-KRs’s party is then fully assured of the numbers.
Sampot: That would be a very correct projection.
Sarong: Then we, Khmer, must do something to counter that.
Sampot: That’s right. We all must.
Sarong: Firstly, all Khmer must go to vote en masse. If we vote en masse, we will outnumber and defeat them.
Sampot: Secondly, we must vote our conscience to reject the ex-KRs.
Sarong: Any vote against the ex-KRs is a vote for a different Cambodia in future.
Sampot: And thirdly, we all must wear black, from head to toes, when going to and queuing at voting booth.
Sarong: Even not on a Monday?
Sampot: Even not on a Monday. All in black, even you.
Sarong: If they see so many people in black congregating to vote, they will arrest all of them, won’t they?
Sampot: We shall see whether they will be able to transform the whole country into a jailhouse.
Sarong: They already did when they were KRs in 1975-78.
Sampot: Then, they will repeat their own history. And confirm their origin!!!
Sarong: Let spread the words: Wearing black on elections day!
Sampot: That’s the grass root’s moral revolution to de-mourn the double death of “democracy and freedom” and to recover our “sovereignty.”